Today we celebrate the 234th anniversary of the United States seceding from the monarchy of England.  Our Forefathers did so with The Declaration of Independence, a beautifully written document that is as significant now as it was then. I encourage everyone to reread The Declaration again today.  And, as you do so, see how some of the issues raised then are still issues we face today.

It is an interesting point of trivia that July 4th was the day that The Declaration was adopted by The Continental Congress.  It was not signed until nearly a month later, August 2, 1776. 

Furthermore, The Declaration was adopted more than 1 year into what we now call The American Revolution.  The start of that war was April 19, 1775, with ‘The Shot Heard Around the World.’   On the night of April 18, the British marched toward Concord, MA, to seize the militia’s munitions.  As they marched, riders like Paul Revere rode ahead announcing that the British were coming.  The forewarned militia met the professional British soldiers first at Lexington, MA.  While it is not known to history who fired first, the results were the same.  Shots were fired and some militiamen (or Minutemen) were killed. 

The reason why this is noted is that the Colonies were at war with the king for over a year before they declared independence.  For the first year of the war, the Colonies wanted better representation with Parliament and the king.  However, The Declaration of Independence ended that hope and gave a new justification to the war, it was now truly a Revolution.

In July 1776, nothing like The Declaration had happened before, where men shed the millennia-old ways of being ruled.  Instead, as stated in The Declaration, the justification for government came from the consent of those being governed.  Since then, it has happened a lot.  But, in 1776, it was unprecedented.  Our history and legacy as Americans began as something incredibly audacious and brave. 

So, today, we celebrate the legacy that our Forefathers gave us.  And, as we face many of the same situations that they faced then, let’s promise to be as brave as those men in The Continental Congress.  Let’s make sure that what they started we do not let end.  Let’s keep the fires burning bright today.  In 1787, Franklin replied to an inquiry about what kind of government do we have, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

Be brave.  Be strong.  And, be vigilant.